Game trap



Patented July 16, 1929.

l UNrrED STATES ignora PATENT orFicr..

LESTER A. BEARDSLEY, OF NORWICH, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NORWICH WIRE WORKS, INC., OF NORWICH, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GAME TRAP.

Application inea April s, i926. serial No. 99,506.

rlhis invention relates to game tiaps, more particularly to that type of trap wherein a paii of opposed gripping jaws, pivotally mounted upon a base memberor foundation, are operated by spring actuating means operating upon both of said jaws.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved trap of exceedingly simple construction, which is nevertheless most eflicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Atrap of the coil spring type., wherein the number of operative parts is reduced to a ininin'nun, thus reducing the cost of production, both as to amount of material einployed in the trap and in the ease of asseinblag'e. l

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in p a-rt pointed outin the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements. of parts and .application of principles, constituting the invention and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is atop plan view of my 1inproved trap, showing the same in unset condition.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the trap, showing the saine in the unset condition of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a top plan yview of my iniproved trap, showing the same 1n set condition, and j Figure t is a vertical sectional view of the trap in set condition, taken on the line 4-4- of Figure 3 looking' in the direction of the arrows.-

Referring no-w to the drawings, wherein similar eference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing, the reference numeral l denotes the base or foundation of the trap, 2 the cross piece which is anchored to the foundation l intermediate its ends as by means of the rivet 3, said cross piece 2 having its edges preferably flanged upwardly to give it strength and stiffness. The cross piece extends laterally of the trap and is provided at its outer end with an upwardly extending flange 4 upon which is pivotally mounted a detent 5. Pivotally mounted upon the pin 6 which extends through the flanges 7 and 8 of the cross piece, is an arm 9, upon which is mounted the pan 10 ofthe trap. Thev arm 9 is recessed as at 1l to form the shoulder l2 under which the detent 5 is received whenthe trap is set, as clearly illustrated'in Figures 3 and 4.

The reference numerals 13 and 14y denote the jaws of the trap, which jaws have formed upon their end portions the pintles l5 and 16 respectively, said pintles being received in apertures formed in upwardly extending flanges 17 and 18 provided respectively upon the outer ends of the foundation l. f

As thus far described, Ythis trap does not differ materially from other well known formsof game traps. Y

Referring now to the actuating means for the jaws of the trap, the reference numeral 19y denotes the spring actuating member for closing' the jaws. This actuating member is preferably comprised by a length of relati vely'stifl'l spring wire, bent upon itself to form the loop 9,0, portions of the legs 2l and 22 of said loop intermediate their ends being forn'ied into the coils 23 and 24. The ends Q5 and 2G of the legs of the loop upon Aleaving the coiled formations 23 and 24 extend rearwardly and have upstanding free ends 27 and Q8 which extend upwardly through the apertures 29 andV 30 formed in the cross piece 2. Une of these apertures 29 is formed in the end of the cross piece and the other aperture 30 is formed intermediate the ends of the cross piece; the apertures heilig preferably located equidistant from the side edges 31 and 32 of the foundation or base member l. n

The reference numeral 33 denotes a cross bar which extends transversely of the foundation l and rests thereon. said cross bar having` a downwardly struck lug or projection 34 which extends downwardly through an aperture 35 formed in the base or founda tion l, whereby said cross bar in the position shown in the drawing, is anchored against relative length-wise or transverse movement with respect to the foundation when the parts are in the loperative positions shown in the drawing. The cross bar 33 has its ends and 3"?" extending laterally` ef the founded tion, and upon these extending ends 36 and 37 are mounted the coils 23 and 241, of the actuating member.

The inner ends of the coils 23 and 24, it will be noted, have lateral engagement with the sides 31 and 32 of the foundation 1, and are spaced apart by the said foundation member. The anchoring of the rearwardextensions 25 and 26 in the cross piece 2 prevents a relative up ard movement of the coils 23 and 24k of the actuating member. Thus, it will be seen that the coils 23 and 24 which are firmly supported upon the cross bar are also locked against relative lateral movement in either direction.

The aws 13 and 111 at the end of the trap adjacent the actuating member are provi/ded with the inclined shoulders BS and 39, which shoulders are traversed by the legs 21 and 22 ot the loop 2O when the trap is sprung, and the loop moved upwardly by the coils 23 andnZLl of the spring, the upward movement of said loop being arrested in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 when the jaws have been moved into engagement, in which position the jaws are locked together by the legs 21 and 22 of the actuating member.

In the present instance. the leg 21 of the actuating member is provided with a depression l() and the le r with a raised portion L11, the object of which construction being to permit the jaws to liev in asubstantially parallel plane and in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the pan 10 when the trap is set. It will be noted that when the trafp is set against the tension of the actuat ing member, the locked jaw 14 being held against upward movement by the detent 5, there is a tendency to give the loop 20 a slight lateral twist, which ordinarily would elevate the leg 21 of the spring to such a position that it in turn would elevate t-he free jaw 13, whereby this jaw would not lie .in a plane. parallel with that of the locked j awlet. The provision of the depression L10 and the raised portion 41 on the legs 21 and 22' respectively, compensates for this slight twist given the loop 20 when the trap is set.

.t will be noted that when parts of the trap are in assembled relation, whether the latter is in setor unset condition, the actuating member is at all times under stress, whereby the cross bar 33 is always pressed downwardly against the foundation 1, in which position, as already described, it is held against lateral or longitudinal movement relative to the foundation 1, by the locking engagement of the lug 34 with the walls of the aperture 35. It is, therefore, not

necessary to rivet or otherwise permanently secure the cross piece 33 to the foundation 1.

It` will accordingly be seen that I havel provided a game trap composed of relatively few parts, whereby there is formed a trap of exceedingly compactformation.` Being composed of relatively few parts, the trap may be produced very cheaply. It is also assembled very easily.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope ofthe followingclaims, it` is intended that all matter containedin the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters -Patent, is:

1. The combination in a game trap, of a foundation, a pair of cooperating jaws pivotally mounted upon thev foundation, a bait pan, `escapement devices engaging the pan and arranged' to hold the jaws open when the trap is set, and an operi ting open spring having portions bearing against, and adaptedI to throw the said jaws together when the trap is sprung, one of the said portions of the spring having a raised part bearing against one of the said jaws, and the other portion of the spring having a depressed part bearing against the other jaw whereby the said jaws will rest when open. substantially in the saine horizontal plane., the said raised and depressed por tions of the spring being arranged opposite each other. V

2. The combination in a game trap, of a foundation, a. pair of cooperating jaws pivotally mounted upon the foundation, a bait pan', escapement devices engaging the pan and arranged to hold the jaws open when the trap is set, and an operating loop spring having portions bearing against andv adapted to throw the said jaws together when the trap is sprung, the said spring comprising a single piece of resilient wire having a loop, one side. of the said loop having a raised part bearing against one of the said jaws, and the other Side of the loop having a depressed part bearing against the other jaw Awhereby the said jaws will rest when open substantially` in thelsame horizontal plane, the said raised and depressed portions of the wire being arranged opposite each other.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signa ture'.

LESTER A. BEARDSLEY. 

